Hear, you who are far off, what I have done;
and you who are near, acknowledge my might.
The sinners in Zion are afraid;
trembling has seized the godless:
“Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire?
Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?”
He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
who despises the gain of oppressions,
who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,
who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,
he will dwell on the heights;
his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks;
his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.
Yesterday’s reading ended with ‘You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble; your breath is a fire that will consume you. And the peoples will be as if burned to lime, like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire.’ The word ‘conceive’ is a word used with parenting and hopefully a healthy baby being ‘conceived’. Here the parent is the crop but it is not producing grain only chaff and stubble are produced! The rubbish bit left, chaff and stubble, but no grain produced! As thorns are rooted out and burned, yesterday ended with people’s bones being burned to be used as lime! Today starts with God saying ‘Everyone look at Me, and see what I have done, and acknowledge Me for who I AM!’ It comes out as a sharp cry and a command! I take it that the prophet then speaks stating that the rotters, the sinners (evil people) in Zion, God’s Holy Place, when they see God in His Majesty are afraid. Among the inhabitants of the lands, the godless realize the truth and are afraid, trembling in fear! Hebrews 12; 29 states that ‘Our God is a consuming fire!’ The question here is ‘How can people live if God’s consuming fire goes on endlessly? ‘Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?‘ And the answer comes immediately ‘He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly.’ There follows a list of things which are marked as evil – oppression, bribery, murder, enjoying watching/living with evil. This leads into tomorrow’s reading and begins the blessing which God will bestow. Today – security; tomorrow – wait and see!
1 Peter 1: 3&4 – Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,
Prayer: I stand in awe of You, Jehovah God, please help me to live with reality but truly righteously!
As I read it! 